Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and His Black and White Ball

by Deborah Davis

In 1966, everyone who was anyone wanted an invitation to Truman Capote's ""Black and White Dance"" in New York, and guests included Frank Sinatra, Norman Mailer, C. Z. Guest, Kennedys, Rockefellers, and more. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and drawings of the guests, this portrait of revelry at the height of the swirling, swinging sixties is a must for anyone interested in American popular culture and the lifestyles of the rich, famous, and talented.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, New York, Pop Culture, Fashion, Biography Memoir

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[mina]

a juicy little read. very enjoyable for me considering i wasn’t too familiar with truman capote as a person before. obviously doesn’t serve as an extensive biography since it mostly focuses on his (in)famous party and the lead-up to it, but it was very fun to read about 60s socialite gossip. more of a jumping off point to start your own research!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are an historian of the Sixties, you know that Capote's timing for his extravagant ball on November 28, 1966 was perfect. It was the probably the last possible moment of the twentieth century that he could have had a party with a guest list of jet-setters of this magnitude. Within months the world would change profoundly--the beginning of the world we know today. Even the black & white color schemes and geometric shapes so much associated with the mid-60s were about to explode into psychedelic bouquets of color and the organic forms of the last years of the decade.

If I can find any fault with this book it is in that the historical context of that decade was not explored and how the party fit into the decade. Ms. Davis gives us the back story on each facet of Capote's Black & White Ball, including the attendees, their attire and the journalists covering it, but we don't get much in the way of historical backdrop or the big picture, if you will, and she seems to be of the opinion that the party itself was an anomaly. It was such an interesting and pivotal time period and the party couldn't have happened, successfully, at least, during any other time in that decade or even in that century. Exploring that aspect of the party would have made it a five-star book instead of four.

Of course Capote himself would soon burn bridges that would make it impossible for him personally to ever throw a party such as that again and, although Davis doesn't address this point either, Capote was probably the only person in the world at the time with the means, the desire and, more importantly, the social connections to pull off a party with such an impressive guest list of socialites.

[Lynn Bensinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps it is just me, but I loved this book and found it to be fascinating. I developed an interest in Truman Capote after seeing the film "Capote". I am also a huge fan of Harper Lee and found out about Truman's relationship to her and the famous group of woment he called his "Swans". Truman Capote was a complicated man, small in stature yet huge in EGO. He was a master manipulator on one hand and a very lonely, insecure man on the other. He was in to using people to his own benefit, whether they be his friends or enemies. Some went from being friends to being enemies when they caught on to him. The party that is central to the book takes one back to a time of opulence, glitz and glamor in Manhattan and the Plaza Hotel during it's heyday. For me it was a fun read and a book I will re-read when I find it in my stacks. (I bought the thing)

[Roxy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely “dishy”! I have read several book about Capote, most notably Gerald Clarke’s excellent biography, so the first few chapters were old news to me. But I enjoyed the build-up to the party, and the social history was very well told. I liked the fashion designer stories, the bits about the “in crowd”, the diet and exercise fads, and the fact that the average American women in 1966 stood at 5’3” and weighed 140 #, so fashion models Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton caused women to go on crazy diets. It is a fun book to read, and I only wished for more photos.

[Lee Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of this book is more of a light biography of Capote, interspersed with un-numbered chapters, each of which highlights one of Capote's "swans," the socialites he considered his closest friends at the time--Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, etc. Once the party talk kicks in, though, this book goes way too fast. I wanted more! This really needed to be a coffee table book, because I wanted to see as many of the dresses and masks as possible (and preferably in color). It's easy enough to find some online, but again, I wanted more. This is a frothy, entertaining book about a very different time, pre the celebrity culture that has all but ruined "society" these days (for good or ill?).

One criticism: aren't spelling errors supposed to be fixed in the transition from HC to TP? I found a few, Arlene Francis' name, and Coshocton, Ohio to name two.

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edizione italiana: “ Truman Capote e il party del secolo.” Ed. Accento

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deborah Davis’s book is an interesting and amusing book, which centers on the last significant event in Truman Capote’s life, his notorious Black and White Ball. The ball which was supposed to honor Katharine Graham, president of the Washington Post, was nothing more than thinly veiled attempt by Truman Capote to promote himself and the success of In Cold Blood.

What I love about this book is that Davis spends times examining Capote’s Swans, the rich and powerful society woman who he be befriended and socialized with. The book also takes a single event and looks at it larger context, like how the social reregisters were created, how certain designers came to be famous and how this one event actually marked the closing chapter of not only Capote’s life but that of a certain kind of high society, which no longer exists.

The only thing I will warn readers about is that this book is not complete biography of Truman Capote’s life; instead it is more like the Cliff Notes version of it. Davis barely acknowledges Truman’s long-time lover Jack Dunphy and she brushes aside other significant details, which can be found in detail in Gerald Clarke’s wonderful biography of Truman Capote.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having my obsession right now with Truman and his gang. This book jumped at me and was everything I wanted to see and hear about. Full of "gossipy" bits about the period and characters you couldn't make up, it shows a different time. On one hand the glamor of the 60's is represented beautifully, with the "aristocrats" of the day vying for a place at the party, while on the other hand there is s sense of disgust as the war raged on in Vietnam. This is Truman at the moment of his success before the heavy drug use and alcohol poisoning. This is an author that changed the shape of authors, it is the end of an era.Even Bergdorf Goodman closed up its dress making floor after this. An easy read, with a gimps into a world that burned brightly for a moment, so brightly it destroyed so much of what it celebrated....

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, very entertaining about the behind-the-scene details of Truman Capote's 1966 legendary Black & White Ball. From the highly-anticipated and selective invitation list to the over-the-top designer masks, this book accurately depicts Capote as a manipulative and shameless self-promoter. But his celebrity status seemed to allow much tolerance, and even forgiveness, by those who wanted to be a part of his glitz and glamor world. Party of the Century is a fun read for those who enjoy celebrity biography or find intrigue by the antics of NYC high-society.

[Greg Thorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I curled up with this book every night during a cosy, wholesome, suburban, family Christmas and it was the perfect accompaniment, being the literal opposite of all of these things. Capote approached the staging of his 1966 Black and White ball at the Plaza Hotel with a deal more care than some of his books in the following years. The ball was designed to maximise his celebrity around the publication of In Cold Blood, his best, most successful, and least Capote-like work. It was a complete success but marked a turning point, for him, his career, the 60s, and New York society.
Capote was never the Greenwich Village type writer, his sights were affixed on the upper echelons where success was distinctly measurable and artistic integrity was neither here nor there if one had a place to stay in the Hamptons. He was a duplicitous social climber and I can’t help but adore him for it as he wriggles his queer way into the middle of New York society.
This book is sumptuous in its observations and obsessive in its detail (it includes original contemporary illustrations and the full list of ball attendees) and only the actual Christmas time going on around me could compete with it in terms of content and fizz.
Highly recommend if you’re interested in Capote, or the 60s, New York, Warhol, all of that stuff. Brilliant.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining, quick read into an almost mythical period in American history; when glamour and awe surrounded the wealthy and beautiful. It felt like this book could become a valuable resource often found in the resources cited section by biographers and historians studying Truman Capote and/or the mid-century American celebrity culture.
3.5

[Christopher Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I’ve been fascinated by Truman Capote and his Black & White Ball for years. This book , while interesting was more a history lesson in the events leading up to the event and backstories of the guests than the actual event itself. You can find more stories and pics of the event online than in a book about the party. I wish it had included more of that information. Otherwise it was an enjoyable read

[Allison Sesame · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting piece of work-related research. Though I must say I generally disliked Capote and his treatment of his “swans”.

[Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading about Capote’s Black and White Ball back in the 90s and being totally fascinated! In 2006, Vanity Fair contributor, Amy Collins, wrote a detailed overview of the party of the century and once again the whole affair just fascinated me.

The story builds on Capote’s rise as an esteemed and intriguing individual who’s novel, “In Cold Blood” created a new genre. His almost pathological desire to have a collection of beautiful high society women and become a trusted confidante in their world speaks to Capote’s charm and ability to fit in anywhere. He seemed to be a natural at finding commonality with people and then gaining their trust. Unfortunately, for his Swans, they found out too late that their heartache was great story fodder for Capote.

But I digress. In this telling of Capote’s Black and White bal masqué, we are introduced to his wealthy socialite Swans, CZ Guest, Gloria Guinness, Babe Paley, Marella Agnelli, Slim Keith. At times they seem quite interchangeable and appeared to be just another acquisition for their wealthy husbands to own. Capote just had enormous success with “In Cold Blood” and saw a way to parlay that into a party that celebrated him. Although he used the façade of honoring Kay Graham, it felt like the party was more about his power over a high brow society that were only allowing him temporary entrance over a party honoring Kay.

Those 500+ people who received an invitation in some ways reminded me of today’s social influencers. Individuals with whom the everyday person wants to emulate, trying to grasp a part of their world.

Capote’s history and build up to the party took up most of the story. The description of the party itself was described in the last 30 pages. Reading about the women’s elaborate hair styles, the dresses, and the masks – not just the women’s masks but the men’s as well. See Billy Baldwin’s dramatic unicorn mask! Wish there were more photos of the party itself, but the overall novel provides a nice overview of Capote, the party, the participants, and the atmosphere.

Capote was a master in creating social hype, publicity, and illusion and it was reflected in the almost desperate need for society to be invited to his party. Reading the afterwards about how some guests felt the party wasn’t all that seemed to have not realized that it was a party that celebrated a lifestyle of debutants and socialites that was soon to disappear. "Yet is has never been questioned that his Black and White Ball was the party of the century," p. 260.

Great read and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the 60s and/or fashion history.

I'm still fascinated by Capote and his Black and White Ball.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Party of the Century is a documentary/biography of Truman Capote and the party he threw at the Plaza Hotel ballroom in NY in November of 1966 after completing his "non-fiction novel" In Cold Blood. Truman was an aspiring socialite. Through his literary success, he was able to meet and cultivate friendships with people of many different backgrounds. However, his major friendships were with society's wealthiest women. He was a gay man and an excellent conversationalist. He loved gathering and sharing his friends' secrets which lead to his ultimate downfall in the years following the ball. Truman's Black and White Ball marked the end of era as in 1966 social standards were changing. Who's Who's and included in prominent social gatherings was changing. A new era where celebrity instead of family/old wealth began to dictate social status. Because of Truman's many and diverse friendships, the ball included the traditional old wealth socialites, the literary community, Hollywood, royalty, and the young rising socialites and celebrities. The 540 invitations were most sought after, and Truman a master marketeer and self-promoter leveraged all he had for the Party of Century.

[Randy Mcdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Deborah Davis's Party of the Century is an engaging look at Truman Capote famous 1966 Black & White Ball, held in the ballroom of New York's Plaza Hotel and funded by the wealth earned by Capote from In Cold Blood. Davis goes into considerable and enlightening detail on the structure of New York and international high society in the mid-1960s, describing how the new electronic news media and inexpensive transportation combined with Capote's connections and talent for publicity to make his ball become a news story worldwide. The most surprising and telling thing that emerges from Davis' book is the suggestion made by multiple witnesses that, as a party, the Black & White Ball was a failure, its diverse guests not mixing and its glamour sadly lacking. Davis' flavourful telling seems to confirm that Capote's magic only went so far.

[Beth Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good party? As a fan of Capote's work, as well as a fan of parties, I found this to be a fun read. Not only do we as readers get a glimpse of the actual party itself - from the planning stages to the reviews following it, we get a glimpse into a world that no longer exists. I enjoyed particularly learning about Capote's 'Swans', the socialites with whom he befriended. I'd heard many of their names before, but never really got who some of them were and how they factored into society. This cleared it all up for me. The recipe for Plaza Chicken Hash is a nice addition, too. A great book for anyone who pines for a more glamorous era.

[Mark Gaulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dishy account of arguably last century best ball. Truman Capote is a fascinating character and a wonderful writer. This book captures a very window in time when he was at his zenith of power (socially, artistically). I was surprised that the Duke & Duchess of Windsor didn't attend. Beside Jackie Kennedy, nobody who was anybody was missing at this party.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow I expected more pictures and less text.

It was interesting and dishy, but like Davis' other book, she's using a lot of other peoples' material and stretching it out into a book. There's less about Kay Graham than I expected, too. It's mostly about Capote.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this one up thanks to Melanie Benjamin's awesome fictionalized version of these events! Very fun read.

[Karen-Leigh]

If you are an historian of the Sixties, you know that Capote's timing for his extravagant ball on November 28, 1966 was perfect. It was the probably the last possible moment of the twentieth century that he could have had a party with a guest list of jet-setters of this magnitude. Within months the world would change profoundly--the beginning of the world we know today. Even the black & white color schemes and geometric shapes so much associated with the mid-60s were about to explode into psychedelic bouquets of color and the organic forms of the last years of the decade.

If I can find any fault with this book it is in that the historical context of that decade was not explored and how the party fit into the decade. Ms. Davis gives us the back story on each facet of Capote's Black & White Ball, including the attendees, their attire and the journalists covering it, but we don't get much in the way of historical backdrop or the big picture, if you will, and she seems to be of the opinion that the party itself was an anomaly. It was such an interesting and pivotal time period and the party couldn't have happened, successfully, at least, during any other time in that decade or even in that century. Exploring that aspect of the party would have made it a five-star book instead of four.

Of course Capote himself would soon burn bridges that would make it impossible for him personally to ever throw a party such as that again and, although Davis doesn't address this point either, Capote was probably the only person in the world at the time with the means, the desire and, more importantly, the social connections to pull off a party with such an impressive guest list of socialites. By Jeff

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A recent book recommendation for Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century led me to this book. Davis provides background on Capote, from his rise as a celebrity to betrayal of his friends, leading to his inevitable downfall.

In 1966, Capote was at the top of his game as his book In Cold Blood was a best-seller and would soon be made into a movie. He was living a lifestyle of the rich and famous. Capote’s closest friends included high society gazillionaires, royalty, movie stars, politicians, intellectuals, journalists and writers. Capote was someone everyone wanted to know, and everyone wanted to be invited to his exclusive Black and White Ball.

Davis provides all the details on Capote’s planning, the guests’ planning, the attire and the aftermath. Since I’m not part of that rarefied atmosphere, I found it all just a little inane how seriously everyone took the evening. One woman was said to be contemplating suicide for being left off the list, others condemned attendance at a ball while a war was going on and the ball was likened to a party exploiting the Clutter murders. Even a year later, the party was still a hot topic with celebs publicly exclaiming on the cover of Esquire that they wouldn’t have attended even if invited.

For me, the most intriguing aspect of this book is how Capote was able to deceive so many into believing he was really their friend, confidante and champion while the reality was much different.

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

[Charles Inglin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truman Capote's life was almost as interesting as his novels, maybe even more interesting, since he was such an improbable character. His talent was incredible. His insistence on creating a little world around himself and populating it with real people, sometimes manipulating and using them shamelessly, amazing. At the height of his success, with "In Cold Blood," he threw himself a party, the Black and White Ball, inviting 538 of his "closest" friends. Ostensibly, the party was to honor Kay Graham, but the reality was that it was as much to establish himself as a key player in the high society he felt he had finally entered. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the high point of his career. As he acknowledged himself, he needed isolation to write, and the lure of society and celebrity was too strong. His long promised masterwork, "Answered Prayers," would never be finished, and the seemingly inexplicable indiscretions in the released portions of the novel would alienate the very people that Capote needed to build his stories exploring high society. A fascinating and enlightening book about a man who was small of stature but larger than life.

[Kim Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Party of the Century, the Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and His Black and White Ball by Deborah Davis is a behind-the-scenes look at the famous ball he threw at the Plaza Hotel in 1966 in honor of The Washington Post’s Katherine Graham.
This book has been on my radar ever since I first learned about the ball through a Vanity Fair article. Sadly, the VF article was much more entertaining.
While it was informative and the descriptions of the party itself are rich with details, the book was disappointing overall. Rather than focusing on the ball itself, most of the book is a Capote biography, covering his friends, his work, his lifestyle, etc. I enjoyed the chapters devoted to the lives of each of his "Swans," but the rest was pretty dull. I would have appreciate more pictures.
I alternated between the physical book and an ebook. The digital book was horribly edited and contained a chapter titled In Cold Bfood. Seriously?!?

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rich trove of information this book is, and all about one event on one particular day! Even though I wasn't alive when this party happened, I've read mentions of it in several places over the years. This book does a fantastic job of explaining the Black and White Ball within the larger context of Capote's complicated set of hangups, obsessions, and personal relationships. Also, the book even features the recipe for the Plaza Hotel's Chicken Hash, one of Capote's favorite dishes which made it onto the buffet menu that night.

For me, the most fascinating thing about this book was its description of a moment frozen in time, when a society party was still something that made headlines, before the Internet simultaneously connected and divided us all.

[Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a character like Truman Capote to conceive and execute an event so fabulous that it's known as the party of all parties. He lavished the same attention and dedication that he brought to his writing to planning and hosting the Black and White Dance at that Plaza. Davis transports the reader to this glamorous and glittering time. The famous masked ball is the centerpiece of the story, but it's really a wonderfully written story that encompasses much of Truman's career and relationships. You read her words and become part of the elegant, famous and ultra-wealthy NYC high society. It's especially fun because it wasn't so long ago and so you are familiar with many of the characters and get a glimpse of them in their youth.

[Marnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cool book. Strangely, I liked the first half of it better, which gave you the background on each of the key players and sort of set the stage. The second half of the book talked in great detail about the party- the guest list, who was on, who was off, who was on then off, who was never on but came anyway or pretended that they were on but busy, etc. And then it closed with the social demise of Truman Capote, which is ultimately so sad. He was this strange man who came from little, amounted to quite a lot and charmed many, and then went into this downward spiral. They say that his Black and White Ball, being the party of the century, had perfect timing in history.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading "The Swans of Fifth Avenue" took me down the rabbit hole to read more about Capote's legendary Black and White Ball, and this book gives you *all* the gossipy detail. [And even, or maybe especially, at Capote's lavish party there was a Me Too story: had to silently cheer young Benedetta Barzini, who very publicly gave the cut direct to producer Sam Siegel ("Lawrence of Arabia," "Bridge on the River Kwai"); evidently, when she first came to America and met Siegel, presenting him with a letter of introduction from one of his old friends, her father, the then-60-year-old perv tried to seduce her.] I do wish this book had more photographs, however.

[Spence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a generous three-star rating, not an earned three-star rating.

First and foremost, the formatting in this book sucked. I'm willing to admit this may have been because I read it as an E-book rather than purchasing a physical copy.

Second, the writing simply was not engaging. I can forgive the first fifty or so pages being used as a mini-biography of Capote, but why did his 'swans' have so much time dedicated to them? I understand that they were the 'It Thing' but Capote's rich lady friends were no more important to this story than any other party guest.

The second half of this book (read: the part that's actually about the party) saved this rating from being much lower.

[Chiara Ferrari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with loads of information about Truman Capote and his B&W Ball. I truly enjoyed the information given.
In my opinion, I thought that it was well written because whenever the author would mention a certain person or place, the author would also give some background on the individual or place. I am not old enough to have know all the players introduced in this book, so for me, even the information scattered throughout was juicy enough.
There is plenty of "gossip" in this book, and even if most of the characters in this book have long passed away, I still felt a sense of having been there for a few minutes.